Rotary staking machine



Oct. 5 1926.

aia

Oct. 5 1926.

I D. E. HARDING .ROTARY STAKING MACHINE .F'iled August a;

1925 2 Sfieets-Sheet 2 DANA n. HARDING, on Anmneron, r/riassr cnnsnrrs, essrenoa T0 nannme Ener- NEERING COMPANY, or EAST Bosron, rti-a'ssAci-rosnrrs, a CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

ae ate- MAKING Meet-i a- Application filed August 8, Serial life. 483%.

My present invention relates to leather Working machines, and more particularly to an improved staking machine.

An important operation in the mannfam ture and preparation of leather from skins or hides is that operation known as stalling. This operation consists in flexing the leather bettveen'two elements and between'ivhich the leather is drawn, the idea being to rapidly flex the leather so as to make the same pliable. This operation is performed prior to either the glazing or boarding operation and is one of the operations that cansee more trouble in the leather industry than almost any other single operation. The prior ma chines for performing this operation consist'primarilyot a rapidly reciprocating c rossheadon Which is pivotally mounted a lever carrying at its end a member that is ass ciated with a like member on the crosshead. The operator stands in front of the crosshea'd which moves towards him and in the forward movement of the lever, carrying the member, lifts the member upward so that the lever and crosshead form an open jaw into which the sheet of leather is placed.

When the crosshead With attached lever has reached its foremost position or the position nearest the operator, the lever pivots, bringing the member thereon into association With the corresponding member on the crosshead and the crosshead then moves backward. The operator holds, with his hands or with his hands and body combined, the leather against the front of the machine and prevents the same from being pulled rearwardly of the machine by the flexing elements car-. ried on the crosshead and lever. This operation is very tiring; and it is impossible for an operator to Work the machine to anywhere near its capacity for a full day. The machine is dangerous and numerous accidents have occurred, both from the crosshead striking the operator and from the muscle strain that necessarily takes place when the oaerator is working on a heavy piece of leat er.

My present invention has been designed to overcome the objections in prior apparatus and to substitute as faras is possible mechanical means for the human element heretofore considered necessary. The prior machines have been of the reciprocating type and, as such, they vibrate excessively and transmit the vibrations to the building in Wiich they are located to such an eXtent that the buildings have to be strongly'bnilt the first instance and have frequently to be shored up and strengthened. invention obviates this difficulty by substituting for the reciprocating. 'crosshead a cylindrical member carrying at intervals along its periphery members that cooperate with devices arranged at intervalson an endless chain and on which the leather to be staked is placed. In combination tvith snch means I provide an antomatic niechanical holding device for holding the leather in position While the sam e is being operated on by the staking device, this moveinc it being such that the leather is held only yvhen the staking or fiexingcelements'are in asso ciation ith each other. i

The principal object of my inventien,

therefore, is an improved staking machine of the rotary type.

Another object of the invention is an improye d stalling machine in which: the leather being Worked on is mechanically held during the staking operationl i Other objects andfeatures of the construction and arrangement of partscomprising my invention Will appear as'ftl e description of the invention progresses;

lathe accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment 'otmy invention. i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in 1, and 1 Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation on the line HofFigxffi."

Referring to the drawings, lOdesignates a base on Which is'secured'at one end thereof a pair of spaced upwardly and forwardly inclined pede'stals 11. Attheupper endot the pedestals Hand in alignment with each other are bearings 12 and in these bearings is rotatably mounted a drive shaft 13. On the drive shaft 13 are the usual tight and loose pulleys 14 and 15 respectively, and-on the ends of the shaft are secured collars 16 that prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft 13 in the bearings 12.

Secured to the shaft 13 between the pedestals 11 is a hub 17 provided with a plurality of radially extending arms 18, and connecting the outer ends of the arms and forming the rim of a wheel are the members 19. Secured to the rim of the Wheel at the junction point of the arms 18 and 19 by bolts 20 are members 21 provided on opposite faces with spaced members 22.

Secured to the base 10 in advance of the pedestals 11 are pedestals 23, these pedestals being spaced apart from each other, and secured to each of the pedestals in any convenient manner and extending rearwardly therefrom are frame members 24. These frame members 24 extend rearwardly as far as the rear end of the pedestals 11 and are secured to the inner faces of such pedestals in any convenient or usual manner. On the inner opposing faces of the frames 24 are formed rectangular grooves 25, such grooves forming an arcuate path of which the shaft 12 is substantially the center, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Mounted within the rectangular grooves 25 for rolling or' sliding movement therein are rollers 26 on the ends of shafts 27 forming the cross bars of an end less belt. This endless belt includes a plurality of links 28 and 29, the number of links 29 being less than the number of links 28 in any desired proportion, and I have, for convenience, shown but two of such links. The links 29 are T-shaped in elevation, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and in the T-sha-ped portion is secured a shaft 30. On such shaft is retatably mounted a. roller 31. This roller 31.

is of such diameter that, when a sheet of leather or other material 32 to be staked is placed thereon, as shown in Fig. 3, the spaced members 22 will crowd down on and exert considerable pressure on such leather and against the rolls 31. V

Secured to the shaft 13 is a sprocket 33 that is in alignment with a sprocket 34, of less diameter, secured to the sleeve 35 that is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 36 secured to one of the pedestals 11. Also secured to the sleeve 35 is a gear 37 of any suitable pitch and diameter that meshes with and drives a gear 38 similar in pitch and diameter and secured on a shaft 39 mounted in suitable bearings in the pedestals 11. Secured to the shaft 39 and engaging with the endless conveyor is a sprocket 40. At the other end of the conveyor and engaging therewith is an idler sprocket 41 secured to a shaft 42 rotatably mounted in bearings in the pedestals 23. The relation between the driving mechanism above described and connecting the driving shaft 13 with the shaft 39 is such that the surface speed of the endless conveyor is equal to the surface speed of the elements, 22 on the arms 1.. Also, the length of the inner reach of the conveyor is less than the arcuate distance be tween adjacent sets of members 22 so that there is an interval in which the members 22 are not in engagement or associated with the rolls 31. This interval of time during which the elements 22 and 31 are not in engagement is sufficient to allow the operator to shift the position of the hide or skin 32 on the conveyor.

Secured to each of the pedestals 23 on the outside faces thereof and extending forwardly and upwardly are bracket members 43, and to the upper ends of these bracket members are secured the rounded ends of an apron or platform 44 whichextends around the front end of the frame members 24, and at its rear end is secured a bracket member 45 secured to, and extending upwardly and forwardly from, the pedestals 11. Secured to or formed on the front face of the pedestals 23 are bearing members 46, these members being in alignment with each other, and secured in such members is a shaft- 47. Rotatably mounted on said shaft and extending between the pedestals 23 is a hub 48. Secured to or formed integral with the hub member and extending upwardly there from is a member 49, the upper end of which is rounded at and adapted to engage with the front face of the apron 44 for the purpose of holding the sheet of leather 32 against the tension exerted thereon by the co-acting members 22 and 31. Also formed integral with the hub 48 and extending downwardly therefrom is an arm 51, the arm 51 and member 49 forming substantially a lever that is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends. Pivotally attached to the lower end of the arm 51 is a connecting rod 52 which, in turn, is pivotally attached to the lower end of the lever 53. The lever 53 is pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends,v on a shaft 54 on one of the pedestals 11 and at its upper end has rotatably mounted a roll 55. The roll 55 is adapted to engage with cams 56 formed on a cam disc 57 secured to the shaft13. Attached to the rear end of the connecting rod 52 is one end of a coil spring 59, the other end of this coil spring being attached to a pin 60 on one of the pedestals 11. The cams 56 are equal in number to the sets of members 22 and bear such relation to the members 22 that the roller 55 is only in engagement with the cams 56 when the members 22 engage with the rollers 31 on the endless conveyor, thus acting to hold the leather 32 firmly in position during the time the elements 22 and 31 act on the leather.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows, it being assumed that it is desired 1 to perform on "a stiff" or no-n flex'ible sheet of leather the operation known asstal'r' ing and preparatory to, fo'rrexample,-' the cessively into engagement with consecutive rolls 31. Assuming the apparatus to be in a position indicated in Fig. 1 with the circular member rotating in the direction of the arrow shown, the operator places on the apron 14 a sheet of leather, sliding the same under the rounded end 50 of the member 49 The group of members 22 that is shown in engagement with the roller 31 move to the right, as shown in such Fig. 1, and gradually the other member 31 shown to the right hand end of such figure is gradually brought around into position to be engaged by the next succeeding group of members 22. As the members 22 come into engagement with the roller 31 as shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that the leather 32 is gripped therebetween. Also, as soon as this association of members 22 and 31 takes place, a cam 56 will engage with the roller 55, moving the lever 53 about its pivot 54: and causing the rounded end 50 to grasp and force the leather sheet 32 against the rounded apron 44 and hold the same against any tension exerted on it by the members 22 and 31. The associated members 22 and 31 will move to the right, as shown in Fig. 1, while the leather 32 remains stationary and the continuous flexing action given to the leather during this operation is suflicient to render the same pliable enough for subsequent operations to be performed thereon. As the associated members 22 and 31 part company at the right hand end of the conveyor,t-he cam 56 moves out of engagement with the roller 55 and allows the rounded end 50 of the member 19 to move away from the rounded apron 14, thus freeing the leather from any holding action and the operator will have time to shift the position of the leather 32 on the conveyor before the next succeeding pair of members 22 engage with the other roller 31.

While I have necessarily shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. An improved staking machine comprising, aj rotatablyimounted metasta es-slang;

member thereon an"endlessi belt'fi meansi ifor conforming one-"reach of said" belt in an.-aI I cuate path l parallel tothe path of: the rota'e tably mounted m'embergand awstaking meme member thereon an endless belt, means for conforming one reach of said belt in an arcuate path parallel to the path of the rota- .tably mounted member, a staking member mounted thereon and associated with themtatably mounted member, and means for moving. said cooperating members in the same direction.

3. An improved staking machine comprising a rotatably mounted member, a staking member thereon an endless belt, means for conforming one reach of said belt in an arcuate path parallel to the path of the rotatably mounted member, a staking member mounted thereon and associated with the'rotatably mounted member, and means for moving said cooperating members in the same direction simultaneously.

' 4. An improved staking machine comprising a rotatably mounted member, a staking member thereon an endless belt, means for conforming one reach of said belt in an ar cuate path parallel to the path of the rotatably mounted member, a staking member mounted thereon and associated with the rotatably mounted member, and means for moving said cooperating members in the same direction simultaneously and at the same speed.

5. An improved staking machine comprising a base, a work support mounted thereon, means cooperating with said support to hold work in position thereon, an endless belt mounted in said base and having the upper reach thereof extending upward through the work support, means for conforming the upper reach of said belt in an arcuate path parallel to the path of the rotatably mounted member, a plurality of staking members secured to said endless belt, a horizontally mounted shaft, a member secured thereto and rotatable therewith, a plurality of staking members arranged on the periphery of said member and cooperating successively with the staking members on the endless belt, and means for driving said members in the same direction and at the same speed.

1 6. An improved staking machine, comprising a base, an endless belt mounted thereon and having the upper reach thereof lying in an arcuate path, a plurality of staking mem bers secured to said endless belt at intervals along the length thereof, a rotatably mounted substantially circular member, a plurality of staking members spaced apart and mount ed on the periphery thereof, the distance be tween the staking members on the rotatably mounted member being greater than the length of the upper reach of the endless belt, a clamping means associated with the endless belt and operable to hold Work in position While. being operated on by the staking members, and means for releasing the clamping means when the staking element on the rotating member has passed beyond the up- 10 per reach of the endless conveyor.

In. testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DANA E. HARDING. 

